Maratecoara Costa

Wilson J. E. M. Costa, 2007, Taxonomy of the plesiolebiasine killifish genera Pituna, Plesiolebias and Maratecoara (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae), with descriptions of nine new species., Zootaxa 1410, pp. 1-41 : 31-32

Maratecoara Costa

Maratecoara Costa, 1995a : 68 (type species: Cynolebias lacortei Lazara , by original designation).

Diagnosis. Distinguished from all other plesiolebiasine genera by the following unique features of males: dorsal and anal fins long, tips beyond posterior margin of caudal fin (vs. short, tips reaching between caudal peduncle and caudal-fin base); caudal fin lanceolate, tip with two or three filamentous rays (vs. caudal fin rounded and without filaments); opercular membranes with blue iridescence, long, extending on anterior portion of pectoral fins (vs. opercular membrane short and hyaline); and flanks metallic blue, with orangish golden spots (vs. never a similar color pattern).

Distribution. Das Mortes -Araguaia -Tocantins river basin, central Brazil (Fig. 22).

Key to species of the genus Maratecoara

1a. 25-27 caudal-fin rays; anteroventral portion of flanks with three to five oblique orange bars; distal portion of anal fin without distinctive bright blue zone...........................................................................................2

1b. 27-30 caudal-fin rays; anteroventral portion of flanks with broad orange blotch just posterior to pectoralfin insertion; distal portion of anal fin with broad bright blue zone in males.............................. M. lacortei

2a. Scales extending onto dorsal and anal-fin bases in males; dorsal profile of head strongly concave in adult males; few pale orange spots on basal half of anal fin and flank region adjacent to anal fin, often absent; basal half of caudal fin with vertical rows of orange spots in males........................................... M. formosa

2b. No scales on dorsal and anal-fin bases in males; dorsal profile of head straight to slightly concave in adult males; conspicuous orange spots on basal half of anal fin and flank region adjacent to anal fin; basal half of caudal fin with orange stripes parallel to fin rays in males.................................................. M. splendida